"This... is this really a gift for me?" Old Man Helu said in astonishment, "This bottle of medicine is worth a lot of money!"
"Since I took it out, it must be a gift for you. Do you think I'm letting you see it?" An Ran's lips curled up into a smile. He knew that old man Helu had been stuck at the seventh-level magician for many years. This bottle of elixir was enough for him to break through the level and be promoted to an eighth-level magician!
"Haha, in that case, I won't be polite with you." Old man Helu excitedly took the bottle from An Ran's hand. "If you have any questions, just let me know. I will take care of your family for you!"
An Ran looked at old man Helu with a smile, "Of course, if anything happens to our family, I hope you can tell me in time. I have been in Orr College in the imperial capital for a while. If there is anything, you can send a message to the Magician College over there. I know you have secret channels, and you can pass on information very quickly!"
Old man Heru's expression froze for a moment. This was a secret within his Magicians' Guild. How could An Ran know about it?
Looking at Anran's understanding expression, old man Helu couldn't help but sigh. Every time this girl came to him, something bad happened. This time, she even bribed him with a fourth-grade elixir. How could he be so complacent and fall into her trap?
However... looking at the fourth-grade elixir in his hand, he nodded slowly. It was just a message, no big deal. As the president of the Star Lake City branch of the Magicians' Guild, he should have this little power, right?
After achieving her goal, An Ran did not stay here. She walked on the street outside, humming a little tune in a good mood, and inspected the industrial rectification of their An family.
People were coming and going on the street, but the An family's several shops were deserted and business was slow. Many people passing by shook their heads, with contempt and disdain in their eyes.
An Ran's excitement gradually cooled. What was going on? He knew his father was preparing to restructure the family business, but he would definitely wait until he had sold all the remaining stocks before doing so.
His family's high-quality surplus goods, coupled with the 21st-century sales methods he personally devised, why is it that the front of his family's shop is still so deserted?
She observed carefully for a long time. During this half day, basically not many people came into their store to buy things. Even though their things were sold very cheaply, people would rather choose the high-priced things in the store next door than go to their store.
An Ran returned home angrily. Seeing her parents discussing something in the hall, she rushed directly to An Changcheng and asked seriously:
"Father, what's going on? Why is no one buying anything in our store? What happened during this period of time?"
An Changcheng looked at his daughter in astonishment and asked in disbelief, "Of course, you went out today? Don't you dislike going out?"
"If I hadn't gone out for a walk, how long would you have kept it a secret from me? Tell me, was it those people from the royal family who did it?"
An Ran glared at his father unhappily. No wonder old man Helu knew the purpose of his visit before he said anything in the Magicians' Guild. It turned out that there was really a problem with their family's business, and even old man Helu knew about it!
"Sigh..." An Changcheng sighed deeply, "Of course, this is a long story, and it's between me and my mother. You and your brother just need to study hard, and don't worry about anything else."
"What exactly happened?!" An Ran confirmed her guess from her father's evasive answer. "You choose to tell me yourself, or should I go directly to the imperial capital and ask the people of the Burt Empire royal family?!"
Looking at An Ran's persistent expression, He Yun winked at her husband, signaling him to tell everything, to prevent An Ran from acting impulsively and causing any problems, which would be counterproductive.
An Changcheng smiled bitterly. He had originally thought that since his daughter was so unwilling to go out, he would not find out about this matter. He did not expect that he would know it now.
"Well, let me tell you. Not long after you and your brother went to Orr College, word got out that your brother had offended some important figures. It was around that time that our An family's store started to run into problems one after another."
"The An family has not only suffered a financial blow, but they've also lost the trust of their former customers. The reason is simple: in the previous month, some of the goods they sold were severely defective and counterfeit. Add to that the deliberate suppression of the large families in the surrounding cities and the city lord, and they've fostered other families to lower product prices. It's safe to say that the reputation of our An family store has plummeted."
"Under the pressure from these people, our An family lost our regular trading partners. Some people disrupted our business, causing problems for the family business. In order to concentrate our funds and experience, the family business has been shrinking again and again."
"Now, there are only five shops left. Fortunately, our family is small and we have some foundation, so we can still survive."
As An Ran listened to her father's statement, her heart sank and the expression on her face gradually became gloomy.
"The crux of the matter is that the An family isn't strong enough!" An Ran snorted, directly pointing out the core of the problem. "So, the only way to save the An family is to make it strong again, so strong that even the royal family wouldn't dare to invade."
An Changcheng smiled bitterly. He patted An Ran's head and said lovingly, "Ran Ran is right. Our family really needs to become stronger. Only in this way can we protect you and your brother! We will hold on. When your brother's strength is so strong that no one dares to offend our family, then our family will be truly powerful!"
An Ran frowned: "Why do we have to wait until my brother becomes stronger? Can't I do that?"
"Of course, I know you really want our family to become stronger, but we would rather you and your brother live peacefully in this world. If your strength is exposed, it will bring endless disasters to you and your brother!"
An Changcheng said calmly, and He Yun also joined in: "Ranran, listen to your mother, don't worry about these things anymore, just study hard outside."
"No! I am also a member of the family. I must participate in these matters. I am now at the commander level. I am qualified to be the backer of our family!" An Ran said relentlessly.
(To be continued.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
